UCookbook: Tada! Your customizable tostada

A little bored with Taco Tuesday? Switch it up with Tostada Thursday (but, really, you can eat these any day of the week). Our recipe piles all of your favorite toppings onto a crispy tortilla—and it’s good for you too. You’ll get fiber-filled beans, nutrient-dense greens, and calcium-rich Greek yogurt, and you can add any other toppings you fancy. Get ready to meet (and eat) your new favorite lunch or dinner.

Prepare your base

Place tortilla on a baking sheet and bake for about four minutes on each side. Keep an eye on it and remove when tortilla looks crispy and edges are lightly browned. Note: If making more than one tortilla base, spread them on the baking sheet in an even layer without overlapping.

While tortillas are baking, prep your toppings

Tear or chop lettuce.

Follow package directions to defrost frozen corn.

Dice the tomato, avocado, and any additional toppings.

Place beans in a microwave-safe container and heat at short intervals to warm.

Stack and eat

Spread beans evenly on tortilla base. Pile on lettuce, then add your chopped tomato, avocado, corn, and any additional toppings. Finish with a sprinkle of cheese and a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Crunch away!

Recipe review

“I always carry a lunch or snack with me since I study a lot at the library—and this tostada was a the perfect, easy meal to pack and eat on the go. I’m vegan and love making healthy meals, so this was a great option for me with just a few tweaks. All I did was eliminate the Greek yogurt and cheese, and added sunflower seeds, pomegranate seeds, and some lemon for more flavor. I also swapped spinach for lettuce for even more nutrients.”

Cost? The cost of all the ingredients came to just under $20, which is pretty reasonable for college students. I try to consciously budget, so I didn’t mind checking out the deals on fresh produce. You could even make a whole batch of this to eat all week (as long as the veggies don’t get too soggy in the fridge).

Convenience?Prep was pretty simple, but I might suggest cutting up all your veggies a day before if you want to get up and rush out the door, lunch in hand. Like most students, I tend to eat on the run and always seem to be rushing to last-minute events. The recipe itself is pretty convenient equipment-wise too—I used a cutting board, pan, pot, knives, and spoons, plus containers to store several portions in.

Taste?This tostada tastes as good as it looks! Plus I love how versatile it is and how you can take away or add a lot of ingredients, letting your creativity shine through. As far as health, this is light and includes veggies as the main food, but still tastes amazing. What more could you want? Truly the perfect lunch—I highly recommend it!

Diana Whelan is the acting managing editor at Student Health 101. Previously, she wrote and edited articles for condition-specific publications distributed in physician offices nationwide. She holds a BA in Rhetoric & Professional Writing from the University of Hartford.